Human Performance Lab - Faculty
Samuel A.E. Headley, PhD, ACSM-RCEP, EIM-3, FACSM
Samuel A.E. Headley is a clinical exercise physiologist with several years of experience conducting clinical trials. His most current work focuses on the impact of lifestyle interventions (i.e., exercise training along with nutritional modifications) on cardiovascular risk factors (e.g., arterial stiffness) in persons with chronic kidney disease. He also focuses on the impact of exercise training on modifying cardiovascular variables (blood pressure, arterial stiffness, vascular function) in Blacks with hypertension. He is now looking at muscle function in persons with chronic, noncommunicable diseases.
Current Projects
Headley's current projects include:
- Examining the impact of a prebiotic (resistant starch) on uremic toxins, markers of inflammation, oxidative stress, and vascular function, in predialysis kidney patients
- Studying muscle function across the spectrum of patients with chronic kidney disease (he is in the process of developing an intervention to improve muscle function in these patients)
Collaborators
- Dr. Michael Germain, Nephrologist, in Springfield, Mass.
- Dr. Gregory Braden, Nephrologist, in Springfield, Mass.
- Dr. Alp Ikizler, Nephrologist, Vanderbilt University
- Dr. Quinn Pack, Cardiologist, Baystate Medical Center
- Donna Chapman, PhD, Dietitian, Connecticut
- Beth Evans, PhD, Physical Therapist, Springfield College
Citation Links
National Library of Medicine: Samuel Headley
Jasmin Hutchinson, PhD
Jasmin Hutchinson conducts research in exercise psychophysiology. Her primary interests involve perceptual and affective responses to exercise and psychological factors associated with endurance performance. Hutchinson has particular expertise in the influence of music during exercise. Past research projects include the effects of music on affective responses to exercise, the influence of music on exercise recovery, and psychological responses to ramped intensity exercise. In 2018, Hutchinson was awarded Paper of the Year from the Society of Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology for her work, titled “The influence of self-selected music on affect-regulated exercise intensity and remembered pleasure during treadmill running.” She has also written several book chapters on the topic of perceived effort and exertion.
Current Projects
Hutchinson's current projects include:
- Personalized Beat-accented Music Stimulation for Physical Activity Promotion (NIH Project No. 5R61AG084479-02)
- Improving Outcomes from Cardiac Rehabilitation Through Exercise Testing and Individualized Exercise Intensity Prescriptions (NIH Project No. 5R01AG077179-03)
- Profiles of Physical Activity and Music Use During Exercise (Research Council of Finland)
Collaborators
- Costas Karageorghis, PhD, Brunel University, London, UK
- Leighton Jones, PhD, Liverpool John Moores University, UK
- Quinn Pack, MD, Baystate Medical Center, Springfield, Mass.
- Samuel A. E. Headley, PhD, Springfield College
- K. Shin Park, PhD, Emory University, Atlanta, Ga.
- Andrew Danso, PhD, University of Jyväskylä, Finland
Citation Links
Elizabeth O’Neill, DPE
Elizabeth O'Neill is an American College of Sports Medicine-certified exercise physiologist and National Strength and Conditioning Association-certified strength and conditioning coach. She conducts research in women's health and the physiology of aging. The majority of her research has focused on bone health, sarcopenia, and female athlete triad. However, as a broadly trained exercise physiologist, her research interests are expansive. A primary objective of her research is to include her undergraduate and graduate students as research assistants to gain experience and improve their research competency.
Current Projects
O’Neill's current projects include:
- Validation of the Female Energy Deficiency Questionnaire (FED-Q)
- Application and Evaluation of the Gallon Jug Transfer Test
- Low Energy Availability in Female Exercisers
Collaborators
- Mary Jane De Souza, PhD, Penn State University
- Lydia Trainor, PhD, Rider University
- Steven Vitti, Drexel University
- Samuel A.E. Headley, PhD, Springfield College
- Jasmin Hutchinson, PhD, Springfield College
Citation Links
Kathleen Mellano, PhD
Kathleen Mellano’s research revolves around social and motivational processes in youth sport with particular attention to relationships among teammates and other key agents. She has a particular interest in the influence of dyadic and group-level constructs in shaping the quality of athlete experiences. Mellano’s current projects focus on the association between social features of sport and young athletes’ body image perceptions. Past research projects have included exploring the effect of peer relationship profiles on individual variability in how motivational perceptions relate to adaptive and maladaptive psychological outcomes. Other past studies include season-long and meta-analytic investigations into how social agents influence the athlete burnout and engagement experience.
Current Projects
Mellano's current projects include:
- Examining potential differences in drive for thinness and muscularity profiles on markers of body satisfaction and dissatisfaction
- Examining the relationship between athletes’ use of social media and perceptions of burnout
Collaborators
- Alan Smith, PhD, Michigan State University
- Christine Pacewicz, PhD, Saginaw State University
- Christopher Hill, PhD, California State University, San Bernadino
- Jasmin Hutchinson, PhD, Springfield College
- Elizabeth Mullin, PhD, Springfield College
Citation Links
Google Scholar
ORCID ID
ResearchGate
Anna Bottino, PhD
Anna Bottino primarily conducts research on LGBTQIA+ young people’s experiences in sport and physical activity, utilizing both quantitative (e.g., questionnaires, surveys) and qualitative (e.g., semi-structured interviews) approaches. Past research projects focused on topics such as building inclusive physical activity spaces for gender-diverse adolescents; LGBQ+ individuals’ experiences in collegiate women’s sport since the passage of Title IX; sport leaders’ engagement with LGBTQ+ topics; and cohesion and heterosexist attitudes in men’s collegiate athletics.
Current Projects
Bottino's current projects include:
- Collective case study examining a transgender and gender diverse adolescent’s experience of sport
- Longitudinal study of gender and sexual orientation identity demographics among NCAA athletes (2023-25)
- Certified Mental Performance Consultants’ attitudes toward lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals
- Narrative inquiry exploring intra-team romantic relationships in collegiate women’s sport
- Large-scale qualitative study on experiences of physical activity among transgender and gender-diverse adolescents
- Investigations of LGBTQ+ athletes’ experiences of the menstrual cycle
Collaborators
- Elizabeth M. Mullin, PhD, Springfield College
- Anna Baeth, Athlete Ally
- Sarah Kaja, PhD, The University of Minnesota
- Samantha J. Adler, Western University
- Colleen O’Connell, PhD, Millersville University
Citation Links
Luke Pelton, PhD
Luke Pelton's research broadly focuses on human skeletal muscle and on the convocation of its biomechanical, neuromotor, and physiological properties, particularly as they are impacted by reproductive endocrinology. Pelton's specific research expertise lies at the intersection of neuromuscular physiology, steroid hormones, and resistance training methods, incorporating a wide array of populations, observations, and outcome measurements, both biomechanical and physiological in nature. Additionally, he oversees a number of graduate student research projects focused on these areas.
Current Projects
Pelton's current projects include:
- The Impact of Hormonal Replacement Therapy on Neuromuscular Characteristics in Postmenopausal Females
- Concurrent Validity of the VALD ForceFrames compared to the Biodex Isokinetic Dynamometer in Isometric Knee Extension
- Variations in Lower Extremity Force Output During the Isometric Mid-Thigh Pull and Comparison of Training Practices
- Lumbopelvic Muscle Load Balance in College-aged Female Field Hockey Players Over a Competitive Season
Collaborators
- Samuel A. E. Headley, PhD, Springfield College
- Elizabeth M. Mullin, PhD, Springfield College
- Jamie G. Ghigiarelli, PhD, Hofstra University
- Javad Bakshinejad, Springfield College
